A. Phase I: Determination of Eligibility (Application Submittal Requirements)
(1) During Phase I, each applicant interested in operating a commercial cannabis business will pay a deposit fee in an amount established by the City Council by resolution. The deposit will be the amount anticipated to cover the cost of developing and administering the application process. However, should the City determine that additional cost is necessary each Applicant shall be requested to pay an additional amount to cover the costs of administering the application process. Applications shall be complete to be considered, and applications will only be complete if they include all information required by this application, and are presented in the required form, and submitted before the deadline.
(2) Each owner will undergo a criminal background check, as determined by the City Manager or the Chico Police Department and the State of California, demonstrating compliance with the eligibility requirements, the AUMA, the MAUCRSA, state regulations, and other requirements contained in this Chapter. The background check may include a Live Scan review for both the state and federal clearance but not limited to this condition. In the event of delays, which may occur in processing the Live Scan, each owner may be subject to a provisional background check at which time they will be required to sign a background check authorization allowing the City to conduct a third-party background check.
(3) The initial period to accept competitive applications shall be forty-five (45) calendar days from the date the applications are released. Should the 45th day fall on a day when city hall is closed, the application period shall be extended to the next open day at 4:00 p.m. Following the application period, the City shall stop accepting applications and shall review all applications received. The City reserves the right to suspend/close/ modify the period of accepting non-competitive application based on number of applications received and availability of staff to process such applications. Staff shall provide at least 15 days’ notice of suspension of application period and reopening of such period for noncompetitive permits.
(4) The City Manager or their designee(s) will review applications to determine completeness, compliance with the minimum application submittal requirements, and to determine whether any application should be denied based on matters appearing on the face of the application.
(5) Failure to be responsive and/or provide substantive responses, or to provide applicable supporting documentation as required by the application, may disqualify the applicant from being eligible for Phase II of the application process. Applications shall be reviewed regarding grounds for revocation of permits under Chico Municipal Code Section 5.42.150. Applications found to have violations providing grounds for revocation shall not be forwarded to Phase II.
(Res. No. 45-20 §1 (part), Ord. 2589 §3)